If Only Rumble Knew How to Shoot

It’s hard to defend your home with a gun if you’re not, well, at home. Never mind the fact that in Canada, just about any DGU is considered bad manners at best and can frequently get you arrested. In any case, the homeowners in question here were out last weekend and their Burnaby, B.C. house was being guarded by Rumble, their American Staffordshire Terrier. That’s when an armed intruder (we know, that’s supposed to be impossible in Canuckistan) broke in and, as ctvbc.ctv.ca reports, Rumble went to work . . .

The five-year-old house pet confronted the burglar in a hallway and was shot in the shoulder — shattering his humerus and causing several severe fractures — but Rumble doggedly kept at the intruder.

“The burglar proceeded to beat him after they shot him because he continued to fight,” said Brandee Yuen, the sister-in-law of Rumble’s owner. “His paws were raw from fighting.”

The robber eventually gave up, ditching an empty duffle bag he’d carried into the house and making off with just a few items, including an iPod and video camera.

There’s a special circle of hell reserved for dog shooters and here’s hoping this walking piece of excrement gets to experience it in the not too distant future. In the mean time, Rumble’s been fighting for his life. After euthanizing the tenacious terrier was quickly ruled out, the docs went to work.

The family paid $3,200 for medical services, but were told Rumble’s leg would still be amputated without a much more costly orthopedic operation that Yuen said they can’t afford.

Fortunately for them, surgeons at Canada West Veterinary Services were touched by Rumble’s heroic story, and have offered their services for free. Dr. Michael King, who is scheduled to operate on Rumble on Friday, said he should have the dog back on all four legs soon enough.

Being confirmed dog lovers here at TTAG, we hope the persistent protective pup makes as full and speedy a recovery as possible. But even with the donated medical services, Rumble’s family still faces significant expenses for the procedures needed to get him mobile again. Anyone willing and generous enough can help with those costs by contacting the veterinary clinic here.

15 Responses to If Only Rumble Knew How to Shoot

Just goes to show you can still win the battle, even when shot if you have the will to stay in the fight. Another lesson people can learn from dogs.

” He is your friend, your partner,
your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will
be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat
of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of
such devotion.”

There’s definitely a special place in Hell for that pathetic scumbag. Their tenacity and willingness to go all out to protect their family is why I love Am Staffs and Pits so much. My baby is a 90lb. female Blue Nose pit named SweetPea. Lord halp the prick that tries to hurt one of her family.

Tenacious and loyal family protectors the bully breeds are. I thought my rescued pit Sara was attached to my wife and I…that is until the children arrived. The moment Sara laid eyes on my step-daughter, we rapidly discovered whose dog she was. The dog would sit at the front window and keep watch while my daughter rode her bike and played outside. When my son was born last year, Sara took to sleeping right in the hallway in front of the door to the baby’s room. Nobody got past without her say-so. We always knew when a strange car would drive by or someone was approaching the house. Even as she got older and began to slow down, she did her canine duty to her utmost ability
We recently discovered a large tumor and had to put the old girl down at 8 years old and it was just like losing an old friend. I can’t imagine a better dog for my family and there is another in our future. Good to see such ambassadors for the breed.

On a related note, each time we learn of a mass shooting (such as V. Tech, Columbine, etc.) I can’t help wondering why we never hear about any of the victims launching themselves at the shooter in order to subdue and prevent further slaughter. God knows I’d be terrified, but I’d like to think I’d do more than cower under a desk. It’s better to die in action than inaction. (How’s that for an awkward phrase?) Rumble knew this instinctively.

(Yes, I know several people acted bravely at VT, blocking doors and such. My point stands.)